AN ENGLISH LABOUR ADVOCATE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVIII, Issue 73, 30 March 1897, Page 3

AN ENGLISH LABOUR ADVOCATE.

, DD RBSS BY M* BEN TILLETT.

.so^g^" 2"*3 h6l? T 1 T aßfc BVeaing * " b jU of the Tailoresaes' Union, Cook- '"'! the object being to tender a welBtrß6 " t0 Mr Ben TilleW, the well-known conl|. 3h a dvocate of the interests of labour. E"gj was a good attendance, the larger Tl' et tjon of fcboee present being young {"? Mr Tillett was received with I* ' ti e being accompanied on to the iirm'by Mr IV. Fra ß er (President of F' Trades and Labour Council), who niad the chair, and Mr R. Tudehope of tho Commistee appointed to ' S', C »te- Mr Tillett during hia stay while iD Th a ßCprocaediDgß were opened by the ...," Mcllhone playing a duet on the ''Srte, after which Mr A. Warehouse Pl(ino,.NeV Zsaland by the Sea." "tL Cliairman then briefly introduced a truest of tbe evening, and in doing so •Air Tills* had always advocated law |Ol, a rt jer, and had been prominenbly rL the public as a labour or R aniger for f Lt 15 years- Many had given Mr TiMntO credit* for the way in which he had ; a\»A the London dockera during the recent strike. . . . UrTil!ett«npon rising to epoak, roceired itosn ovation. Ho said he could hardly nreeshiß heartfelt thanks for the warm tlL m accorded him. He would be only Jmotuod to take the new world greeting Kk to the old one. (Applau»9.( He (mind this country vory prosperous, the niCalff« rtl nn(i bh° wome" bonny. They !?ld not s«« such types of men and women •the industrial centre* afc Home. _ This mi the beat example of thoir prosperity. It would largely depend upon themselves bn'ber they would in those new lands lie to the some state as the workers ab SLj He had coma amongab them as a L man seeking rest in this beautiful limate. A man bad to live pretty fast to Lp level with the times at Home. Tho Iccident of his sickness had, however, given him tbe chance of visiting thoso colonies. u 9ff(lJK lad to see the labour laws that hud been passed in this colony. He found that the youug people horo the same as thoea ab Home took little interest in their ooiitical and industrial welfare. He was Slid to bo able to state that tha women at Home were beginning to take interesb in ihe movement with which he was identified. jien like him wore cftlled extreme, and they must be extreme and have their p a3 Bion raised by the misery they saw iroand them. In the 0 d Country there ft! not an institution but what was against tbe workers. The workers, like tiliy ihaep, lefb everything to the wolves. Everything was in the hands of capitalists, iid they used their influence as capitalists alwaya did, for themselves alone. In the OH Country manufacturers were now tecaming socialists. The capitalist had always tried to teach the manufacturer that his interests were not idenbical with those of the labourer. Those cycles of depreasion that came every ten years lefb the manufacturers in misery and too often tho workers in starvation, and the former dere beginning; to see thab tke capitalist ;rew richer each bima. On the Continent tie soldier was everything. Even in Belgium they welcomed him with ibcrat 500 soldiers, who looked very well. He saved them from being pushed in the water by 5,000 infuriated Belgian dockmen, and his reward *as that they pub him ia the gaol. {Laughter.) Ab the same time they managed to raise tho rate of wasjea. (Applause.) In Germany and France the socialistic movement wus making rapid itridei; There was now a fraternal feeling {towing up between the workers in Great) Main and on the Continent, and bhe time wiild come when armies would be abolished and working men all OTor the world mold recognise one another as brothers. That was what others and himself were aiming at, bub they had to straggle igaiGit tbe statesman, the capitalist, and too often the church also. (Applause.) There were big-souled men and women in the Old Country who were prepared to iJevota their lives to this work. They had Id fight the greatest) fight of all against the. iovincible stupidity and immovable apathy of their own class. (Applause.) They had to fighb gawky youths Hid eilly girls, who would take no interaac!n their future welfare. (Applause.) iir'fiilett then described the fciard condition ofthe workers in Great Britain, mentioning that- the average working life of all the workers was 28 yeare, and of those engaged in tbe chemical works five years. He had Men strong men iresh from Ireland turned into broken-down old men after five years work amongst the chemicals. In the chain-making' district women were often mothers in the evening and tho very noxb day had to go to work. They worked for 16 hours a day and vory often both % and their husbands only made 12a at the end of tha week. Knowin? such things they might perhaps BKlontand why othera and himself were a little extreme. (Applause.) It was out of this want, misery, and murdor, that dozens «! millionaires were made. They had Jjboretore aomething to make them extreme. *jiM6 who said men Bhould be satisfied i »ith the position in which God bad been Pfoted to placo them wore generally pretty *ell off themselves. Mr Tillebt then rew«d to tho mieery that existed in the tons of London. They were not pr«Ptod to leb such a state of aflairs continue. (Applause.) There was 10 reason why this state of things should coctinoe. They wanted an soon aj the Wdiog intelligence camo to the boy and N to set their feab in the right .".direc»so that) they would take an interesb in w future. Europe wa* in the hands of ™«Jaw, the capitalist and the usurer. 'Piemen were the parasitos who had to "J reaoved and pub to some other emWnseno other than one which destroyed '« beauty of.living. (Applause.) They "d oren, to faco the opposition of [f'tfon. The clergy were paid with " cold of tho capitalist and worked »' those who paid them. (Applause.) «yhad also to fight with the press against Je"|. bob the greateat h'ghb of all was the jj% of the people they wished bo benefit. 11 their labours seemed like using a spoon ««mpty the Thamas. (Applauao.) Some J" 19 present generation would be dead, "J 11 * the Lord, because they would leave r* 'or the youngsters who were now jj! nR educated at school. When they got 11 array prepared to move, then would 9Dw morning dawn and prosperity >• (Applause.) Here in New Zealand ft .J had » wonderful country with vast nilT'' '"^ °^eT resources. Nature was jf ,'hetn» and bounteous in her gifts. cut th<Jy be contont fco Bee tß'B fair land „•' to the capitalist and monopolist ? Le* let a 8 Of Earo Pc be nob wibhoufi effeck. to v not be turned from their proper .^V the capitalist). Mon like himself

were called agitators. Was it wrong to ajitetfia for the betterment ofthe people? ht^'Vu. Wher? ver *k» capitalist,^ he reduced the condition of che workers. He bad sad how they had to fight oven nt Ki° n ,1° i tryiDg fco bsnefi6 the people. (Applause.) He exhorted them to see to ib thab they did not lets the state ?k iuS" grOW UP in fcheße new colonies that had created the misery now existing in the old world. Nothing was impossible where the men and women were organised to f eoure what wag right. As soon as a healthy public opinion died oub in a country their decay began, as eeen in Greece, Rome, Spain and other lands. Others with himself were trying to keop ahve healthy public opinion. Even ia New Zealand he found they had miners working seven days a week. (Applause.) They had their Chinese here working all hours. As long as they allowed the miner or Chinese to work seven days a week, then they had something to inspire the capitals tomako othera do the same. (Applause.) They had some fin© laws in New Zealand, and he would like the wharf labourers to organise and take advantage of tbe Conciliation and Arbitration Act. (Applause.) They must boar in mind than if they were to be savad it would nob bo by prayer alono. He had been pleased with the general bonny appearance of biio girls ho saw to-day eomin<; oat of a factory, yet it made him sad to contrast thorn with what he had Been ab Home. The Canaan might not be for them to enter, bub leb them work in the night time or despair until the dawn should appear. Leb them go on demanding a full existence. Lot them love justice for the sake of justice, love each other as mon and women, and work for the bsbtermont of all. (Applause.) He hoped to seeau international federation of workora in one cause, to fight for Che bettermsub of the position of the children, to see that from tbe cradle to tho grave instead of picfalla, prison, misery, and crime there should be a happy existence for those who desired to do right and wisbod to live good lives. (Applause.)

A vote of thanks was accordad Mr Tillotb, after which three cheers were given, led by the Hon. W. Jennings. Tbe remainder of the evening was spent in a pocial manner, songs being givon by Miss Kulo and Mr Whibehouae, and two capital recitations by Mr A. Smith. Subsequently the forms were cleared away, refreshments handed round, and sotao time passed in dancing.